Various playback systems used for reproduction of high-density recording discs, such as video discs, have heretofore adopted a so-called "semi-automatic disc-loading mechanism", as disclosed, for example, in the specification of Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 111158. Such a conventional semi-automatic disc-loading type of playback apparatus is arranged in such a manner that a cylindrical disc case accommodating a disc is manually inserted into the interior of the playback apparatus, and the thus-emptied disc case alone is then manually drawn out of the apparatus, with the disc being left inside. However, such a prior-art semi-automatic disc-loading type of playback apparatus has various disadvantages in that the disc case must be moved back and forth to a considerable extent when it to be manually inserted into or drawn out of the apparatus, and also in that it is difficult to constitute a disc loading mechanism which is completely movable even when a user handles the apparatus very roughly.
To overcome the above-described drawbacks, it has been proposed to use a playback apparatus provided with lid release means capable of releasing a lid from a disc case and means for drawing the disc out of the disc case toward the interior of the body of the playback apparatus. With this arrangement, when a user inserts the case very slightly into the apparatus, the disc is automatically drawn out of the case, so that the reproduction of the recording on the disc is then possible. However, this method involves various problems when the lid is again fitted into the disc case.